1. Field
One or more embodiments of the present teachings relate to an anode active material, an anode including the anode active material, a lithium battery including the anode, and a method of preparing the anode active material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Carbonous materials such as graphite are representative examples of anode active materials for lithium batteries. Graphite has excellent electrical capacity retention characteristics and excellent voltage characteristics. In addition, graphite does not vary in volume when used to form an alloy with lithium, and thus, can increase the stability of a battery.
In addition, metals that can form alloys with lithium can be used as anode active materials for lithium batteries. Examples of metals that can form alloys with lithium include Si, Sn, Al, and the like. Such metals have very high electrical capacities, but experience a change in volume during charging and discharging, thereby electrically isolating the active material within the electrode. In addition, the decomposition reaction of electrolytes becomes severe, due to an increase in specific surface area of the active material.
Thus, there is an increasing demand for the development of a higher performance anode active material for high-capacitance batteries.